Immortals
by MixzremixzD
Summary: The Sith Emperor, Lord Vitiate has been defeated but his scars on the galaxy will never heal. The Empire and Republic remain locked in their struggle for superiority and in the shadows sinister forces are stirred into action, as hope is drowned in darkness...Bezito is forced to confront his darkest demons and save what's left of the galaxy. C&C gladly welcomed.
1. The Ocean Blue

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, this is purely a Fanfiction.

Don't forget to comment and review

* * *

 _'You know, when I died –strange to say that– it wasn't my victories that gave me comfort. It was all their faces, the people I'd helped. The people I'd served, made the pain forgettable._

 _Suppose you last long enough to see the war end. How will you live? How will you find comfort, when your time finally comes?'_

 _'You make it sound like the end of the Empire would put an end to conflict. There will always be pain, and there will always be struggle... I'll dance that dance forever.'_

 _'Where there's struggle, there's also hope._

 _What we did today, I lied a bit. It wasn't about helping Rishi or reminding you why you fight. It was about healing an old scar you've almost forgotten. One that still aches inside you'_

 _'The Emperor'_

 _'You were under his control, his darkness soaked through to your spirit. When we freed you, you pushed the memories of his training down deep._

 _I can bring those memories back. You're strong enough to handle them...let the light cure them and make you what you deserve to be'_

 _'The Emperor immersed me in the dark side. Darth Revan was the only other Jedi to come back from that. My memories of that time are my power. That power is my right. My weapon and I claim it!'_

 _'You know, I think you're mistaken. No point in another lecture. I'll give you what you asked for and hope you remember the right lesson today.'_

 _'I am whole'_

 _'Then it's my time to go.'_

 _'You were my Master, Orgus Din, but I found my teachers elsewhere...it's past time you rested.'_

 _'Maybe so._

 _You won't see me again, but you won't have to. You won't be alone in the dark days to come. The Force will be with you, Always.'_

* * *

At the peak of nighttimes the twin moons illuminated the blue ice shelfs and the orchid clouds. They were like the eyes of a calm wolf scanning the frozen peaks and districts.

Ilum wasn't like Hoth. Not by any stretch of the imagination would any galactic traveller see similarities between the two worlds. Hoth was cold, in every definition of the word the planet was a snowball hurtling through space. When the snowstorms died down to rest the sun would light up the white Sea for miles on end.

On Illum however jagged planes of ice and permafrost rose like talons from the frozen earth. In the orchid atmosphere the nighttimes were _dark_ and the day's twilight. A howling wind passed through the Ice Mountains and with it frigid cold that pierced the bones of every creature.

At the bottom of an ice shelf and jagged mountains an extensive network of ruins lay desecrated by the gratings of machines and occasional roar of freighter engines. Of the seven possible landing sites on the Wor'ab peninsula the Empire had to choose the one with direct access to the old Jedi temple.

From the tips of the shelf that curved over the ruins and the new metal complex two Jedi watched carefully at the movements of the myriads of figures and droids.

"Isn't teamwork grand?"

At the tips of the outcrop the Jedi were knelt down, their armour near perfectly blending with the ambience. At the lead a male knight, Cathar, clad in white robes over midnight blue plates smiled at his companions comment. A few feet behind him she wore lighter armour under a thick overcoat. Despite her outwardly strong tone he could sense the edges of frost in her voice.

"Teamwork is when more than one person does the job" as the Knight spoke he was surprised at the coarseness of his voice as if a firm block of ice latched itself on his throat.

"Of course wise master I did my part, I brought you mischief and songs of many imperial war droids" despite the frigid winds picking up he still managed to hear the trademark mock humour. Forcing down another smile he picked up a mask sporting a still warm blaster mark above the right eye socket.

Jumping on the speeder and darting off she left him with nothing but ice and his thoughts.

Tearing his eyes away from his companion Leo'nydas focussed on the Imperials scurrying about below. Sliding his mask back on from a distance he may have resembled a crouched predator watching its prey for any weakness, this time the prey was a large mechanical beast with very well oiled joints and gears that moved efficiently.

After a few minutes in the frigid ice he finally spotted the opening for everything to begin. Every so often the base officers would gather all essential personnel into the separate bunkers no doubt for a general briefing. Those left on the outside were the relentless guard droids and other serfs. Bringing out a small timer he started the clock and waited again in the ice. If the Empire were criminal of one thing it was their brutal efficiency that sometimes made them predictable, soon enough the personnel would file out of their bunkers and then fall back in. According to the timer this happened every hour.

Leo'nydas played with the thoughts in his head drawing on his numerous battle experiences and reasoned that the personnel were on rotation which would explain the frequency of the calling.

Bringing out his two communicators he set them on the ground and waited until the images of Captain Sevara and Sergeant Rusk appeared.

"Captain I hope with all the frostbite I've gotten your ships are ready?"

On the other side the youngish features of a Republic fleet officer brightened up as if he was a child waiting to start a long-anticipated game

"Yes Master Jedi" _Why is his voice so high?_ "Our ships have managed to punch through undetected and are ready to open fire!"

"Hear that Rusk? Is your team ready?" This time he spoke into the other image. Rusk was a characterful opposite of Sevara and also a strong willed fighter

"Yes Sir everyone is in position and awaiting your signal"

Nodding his approval and sliding the communicators back into his pouch he slowly stood up shaking off the thin layers of ice that had formed over him. The sky was as bleak as usual and at one point he struggled to tell the time of day. Taking a long breath he waited until the hour struck before bursting into a haze of action.

The world fell into a slow movement. The wind seemed to crawl as he pounced off the edge of the shelf, landing hard on its curve he slid down its endless length. The figures and shapes that seemed alien before started to take shape and his sharp eyes and trained mind started to pick out all the key targets. About halfway down his descent Leo'nydas arched his body and used his left hand to slow himself, with a grunt of effort he began to angle his slide diagonally.

The slope began to level out and with even more effort the white haze started to run alongside the curve. Pacing himself and ever watchful of the roving droids he continued to run until his path took him to the fringes of the base that lead into the ruins of the old Jedi temple, its discoloured walls acting as a summit for the ill feeling he had been having since his arrival in the area.

To his frozen limbs the sudden action was like tendrils of life worming its way outwards and returning feeling, the touch of the Force was a fire he had always longed for. He couldn't suppress a laugh that no doubt sounded darker than it meant to be through the mask amplified by the howling winds at the bottom of the ice shelf. Empowered by the Force he leapt from the slope latching onto the outer walls of the temple, a brief gasp for air and he was in motion again.

Jumping from the wall onto the low hanging roof he slid off the sharp angles onto a passing battle droid.

Landing with a hard smack onto the long frozen stone the droid twitched before screeching out of function. The heavy upper torso dropped loosely from the inactive legs but didn't make a single sound.

Hovering the torso softly above the ground Leo'nydas walked casually with the droid while holstering his lightsaber. As he strolled right into the midst of the Imperial camp he held the long rifle in his hands and sent the body of the battle droid into a nearby communications tower.

Sleek metal buckled and crashed onto a nearby cache room resulting in a brilliant orange explosion. Without breaking a stride he aimed the rifle at several key points, four soft whines later and he threw the turbolaser tracker onto the floor and waited.

On cue the Imperials all rushed out and organised themselves into their respective squads fanning out in all directions around the base. Several shocktroopers immediately spotted him and rushed in his directions guns trained and bellowing orders.

About nine of them had formed a neat firing line in front of him and Leo'nydas could sense just how amazingly calm they were despite the surrounding panic from the lower personnel members.

"Hands up, hood down, mask off!"

The authoritarian voice came from behind and Leo'nydas turned slowly to regard the burly officer with a curt nod. Clearly a veteran of many battles the man's face held a take no prisoner visage and within a heartbeat brought out a handgun and fired at the Jedi's leg.

The blaster bolt struck home and fizzed around the armour all the while digging into his thigh. The brief blast of pain brought him silently to his knees, the officer waited a few seconds and fired.

The bolt scrapped Bezito's hood, scorching the heavy cloth, and burnt itself into the ice

"One more time Jedi...Hands up, hood down and mask off" the officer clearly wasn't going to miss for his sake a second time so now it was time to comply a little. Dropping his hood and raising his hands Leo'nydas pointed to the mark above his right eye saying with pained humour

"Don't bother, I've already been shot in the face once... you lose the charm a second time"

"Jedi sc-"

A definitive snap forced the officer's head sideways as the thin sniper bolt shot straight through his temple.

Barrel rolling forward Leo'nydas turned to throw the two lightsabers at his side. The blue sabers arced in the air deflecting the bolts that came across their path.

In the slow wind of the camp four thunderous shards of blue light struck home in the imperial base as the orbiting republic cruiser opened fire onto the marked targets.

His white robes flowed like water in the frozen landscape as the bolts that made it past the twin sabers ripped past the cloth. Only one found its mark in his shoulder before the blades met their line, ending the blaster fire.

Catching their return in one swift spin he unleashed a force wave into an encroaching battle droid. The metal buckled and split as the machine fired wildly for a few moments. The entire base was in disarray. The efficient machine had been derailed crashing into the unforgiving jungle of combat.

Several dropships hovered above allowing Republic troopers to disembark and meet the scattered Imperial defences.

A squadron of bombers swung past the base and released their deep core payload into the temple. Leo'nydas didn't see any visible explosion but felt the faint tremor as the bombs dug deep into the core of the partly underground temple before detonating.

As he made his way into the temple a unit of troopers followed closely, the red-orange markings and claw of Raptor squad.

Leo'nydas smiled as he began to sense the dark Force of Darth Arho.

* * *

Above the rising spires and hab-blocks at the central space lay the vast network of the senate district.

The well ground surfaces and specialised marble marked the area as belonging to only the upper echelons of the Coruscant society. Robes of pillars adorned with gold and other rare compounds lined the walkway to the main senate tower. A long red carpet trimmed with a yellow crystal made its way from the entrance to the end of the main walkway.

Dozens of senators, nobles and others who thought better of themselves traversed the straight path in and out to the other sectors of the district. The superimposing main senate tower dominated the space and shrouded much of the horizon in its own splendour.

The only presence that even matched the tower was those of the advancing party. At the head of the five man party was the grand master of the Jedi order Satele Shan.

Her eyes were as focussed as ever as she made a straight line path for the main tower with her companions walking in suit. Like a sea of bodies all the well-dressed senators had parted in a neat shuffle their subconscious avoiding the Jedi masters.

Deep within the tower in the main chambers a triumvirate house with a singular golden orb at the centre an assembly of the Republics most high-ranked delegates and commanders. On one section the seats were filled with many representatives and delegates of the worlds under the Republic and the sole Chancellor.

The other section with far less members had been seated by the Military Commanders of the Republic who had much more pressing matters in comparison.

The heavy doors parted with a shallow knock and the Jedi masters found their seats in the empty section. At the close of the automatic doors the bright room darkened and the orb rose up tentatively before being phasing into a holographic image revealing the entire galaxy.

Of the Jedi only Satele stood and her eyes scanned the entire assembly noting all the faces and slight twitches of posture.

"Friends and honoured comrades of the glorious Republic I welcome you to this time honoured meetings of all facets of our society"

The delegates all nodded and smiled as one of their own took the hollow pleasure of opening the meeting with a voice more suited for a choir party. Those on the military side did extremely well to keep their faces blank with only a few revealing a snigger. The Jedi remained impassive.

"Thank you Senator-"

"That is Senator Alvan Cehoe from Alderaan" the young face had a broad smile

"Thank you Senator, I've arranged this meeting with regards to the future of the Republic" she waited for a few seconds "More specifically the future of the Jedi order"

The senators and delegates all perked up and even the military officers started to take interest

"As you all know these past two years have seen the 'Cold War' lose its momentum on the part of the Empire and the Sith"

"For that the people are ever grateful to the sacrifices made by the Jedi and our own finest" this time a different Senator spoke up, the subtle movements in the faces of the commanders caught Satele's eye as she continued to speak

"I agree with your sentiments Senator but as Jedi we can no longer ignore our main goal and that is to become the peacekeepers of the galactic order."

There was a silence in the assembly as both sides turned to each other and began to exchange words. Satele was comfortable in waiting as the other Jedi with her and found time watching specific faces, in the minutes that passed the first to speak was General Garza

"Explain something to me Master Jedi define the term peacekeeper in this context"

Before she could offer her explanation Cehoe had risen to speak but was instantly shot down by the momentary stares from the military. For her part Satele remained impassive until she sensed the moment had died down

"What I mean General was that much of what we've done so far was to engage in conflicts directly with the Empire and on even more occasions with the Sith."

"But you can't argue that on many of those occasions including the encounters in the company of the Sith without the intervention of the Jedi the outcome would have been much worse" this time a navy Admiral voiced his thoughts, acknowledging the genuine concern Satele let Master Kiwiiks speak for her

"Admiral it is good to see you well after the incidents on Corellia"

The grey haired male smiled "No thanks to you, I never thought Jedi would make good relief agents"

"And that is exactly what we intend to return to...this 'Cold War' as many of you call it has seen the deaths of many close friends and the destruction of countless more. But it has also seen the Sith Emperor defeated once and for all and many members of the Dark Council and other dark lords of the Sith have been killed"

Garza spoke once again "True but those losses tell only on those inflicted on the Sith, it doesn't necessarily speak of the Empire as a whole" her comment saw nods of approval from many of the commanders and the wiser Senators also shared her sentiments, to date much of the Empire is still shrouded and its true strength has never really been quantified.

At this point Master Syo Bakarn rose to speak

"In any other circumstance what you said may be true but the Sith and the Empire aren't antithetical...although it would be foolish to say that destroying the Sith would result in the end of the Empire much of the ruling leadership belongs to the Emperor and his Dark Council which further extends towards the Sith lords and Imperial commanders."

A disgruntled Senator scratched his greyed hair in thought as he said

"So Master Jedi are you trying to say that the Empire can survive without the Sith?"

"Ultimately yes but for the time being they will be destabilised as they reform their hierarchy of command"

"But it still doesn't mean that their threat has been eliminated, the Sith are no fools, they can and will choose extreme covert measures if needs be to ensure their survival and the downfall of the Republic" the weighty voice came from the Jace Malcom the Supreme Military Commander who merely had a heavy shadow in his eye as he waited for the Jedi response

"But it does grant us respite and time enough to meditate on the future of our Order"

"Master Bakarn is right" all eyes now made rest on Satele "The Jedi were never warriors but peacekeepers of the Galaxies balance, our purpose was never to win wars but to prevent them from starting." She let them turn to each other and waited again for their final thoughts

An older Senator was the first to share the thoughts of everyone in the assembly

"Master Jedi what you say may well be true but it is difficult to accept the withdrawal of the Jedi's support in these dark times"

Satele smiled thinly as she had already guessed what their response would be even before the start of the meeting

"Senator I can assure you that our intention isn't to withdraw ourselves from the Republic" that brought clear reassurances "But to alter our directive" the commanders weren't displeased but weren't really happy either "For the most part we will carry on as we always have been until we are sure of the end of the Cold War and then we will bring this matter to you again. Our intention now was to just make you all aware of our thoughts"

The Supreme Chancellor who had been eerily silent throughout the whole debate found his words and spoke to the no one in particular

"Then this matter is adjourned until a later date, we send our gracious thanks to the Jedi and our Commanders and the sentiments of the Republic"

With that everyone began to file out into their own agendas. The Jedi stayed to last and just as they too began to leave one of their own had remained seated, clad in a mix of robes and armour. The young master had his trademark grin and seemed like he could very rarely keep still

"It's funny how the Supreme Chancellor considers the Jedi and military separate from the 'sentiments of the Republic'" his icy blue eyes locked with Satele's as he began to stand slowly "You should know Master that many of those Senators and ministers of war no longer consider this to be a Cold War, the facade is over, this is a Galactic War that the Jedi can't leave"

The other Masters all seemed ready to throw their retorts when Satele silenced them with a soft wave of her hand. She looked down for a moment before returning the Jedi's stare.

It was too easy to believe that the threat had faded and maybe she had lulled herself into that train of thought. As she searched the Jedi's face she realised everything he said was regrettably true.

* * *

The deep core bombs had done their duty.

Wherever Leo'nydas and Raptor squadron went they were met with only the sight of a shattered temple and the smell of smouldering rock and ice. Occasionally they would spot the strewn bodies of Imperial shocktroopers and Sith Acolytes, most were beyond dead amidst the rubble.

Despite this seeming success it did make their journey all the more hazardous and longer than it needed to be. As the eight strong group trawled through the confined space they were on a constant heightened state of awareness for ambushes, dangerous pathways and terrain all in equal measure.

At the head of the group was a giant of a man, dark-skinned with a full head of thick grey hair despite his age, known as Hrolf. Slung on his back was what can only be described as a man-sized Gatling gun, six-barrels of Republic blaster fury and Alderaan reliability all rolled into one weaponised package.

Following in as orderly line as possible the rest were all garbed in a mix of take-all comers weaponry and accessories.

At the back of the line Bezito inched further and further behind with each step. His mask was sat strapped to his belt, and he let the taste of the air find its way into his lungs unfiltered.

His left thigh and right shoulder burned, the frosty air making every movement a sensitive burst of pain and the hurdle of traversing the underground ruins didn't make it any easier.

"You don't have to come down here"

His focus shifted to the trooper in front of him "And why shouldn't I be down here?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't, just that you don't have to"

"And there's a difference?"

"Whatever, just try not to slow us down"

Wit was beginning to take over but he stopped himself when he noticed the line make an abrupt halt.

Their current position was in a descending corridor encased an almost all sides by broken masonry and peaks of ice, surprisingly the orchid light found a way inside, illuminating an otherwise bleak space. Ahead was what seemed like a main room or antechamber and of all the places they've been to it seemed the least affected by the deep core bombs.

Edging past the troopers that had stopped Leo'nydas made his way to the lead and knelt down next to Hrolf.

"I can smell him, Arho, and a bunch of others" the Raptor leader ground out in a deep tone

Smiling a reply Leo'nydas looked ahead "Smell? You sure you're just not force-sensitive"

"Bah! Like I could deal with you prancing heroes, Arho's in there n' we've got a mission to do" without saying anymore he purposefully crept past the Jedi to the entrance. Coordinated hand signals to his squad saw them enter an assault formation as best as they could within the confines of the corridor.

Within seconds of assuming formation Raptor squad burst into action.

Fanning out across the antechamber in quick succession with rifles trained in every in every direction they were met with only silence.

Visibility was almost non-existent in the room and the armoured steps of the troopers gave off a hollow echo.

After a minute in the solid darkness the squad slowly relaxed and edged away their tension.

"He's here" Leo'nydas managed to whisper to Hrolf who was barely within earshot "In the shadows"

On cue the flash of a red lightsaber illuminated the barely lit room. The red tones added a sense of animosity even to the terrain which brought Raptor squadron to full alert, Leo'nydas in turn drew his two lightsabers and entered his Juyo stance. The soft blue lights were welcome warmth from the intense red putting some of the squad members at ease.

With the room now full of light Raptor squad shivered at the full scene before them. At the far end was the dismembered, disembowelled and otherwise brutalised body of Darth Arho, around him, the body pieces of his apprentices and agents.

 _Hunger_

The word was like a knife running through the eyes. As a Jedi Leo'nydas was able to repel most of the force behind it but the same couldn't be said for his comrades. Most of them dropped to their knees in agonising screams and wails, clutching their heads for what seemed like dear life. Even the stone like Hrolf showed intense discomfort but, like a true giant, shrugged it off with sheer force of will.

 _Feed_

As the second word came, intense as the last, the wielder of the red lightsaber stepped forward. Clad in Obroan armour whoever it was force-sensitive and powerful, Leo'nydas could sense the animalistic nature pulsing from it and forced himself to recite the mantra of the Jedi.

"Well what're we waitin' for?" Hrolf asked rhetorically

Seeing as they were in no rush to hasten to what might be their last moments Leo'nydas answered him "You know...protocol technically mandates a compulsory number of negotiations upon contact with an unknown"

Hrolf gave him a look that was tinted was disbelief "And what does protocol say if said unknown is hostile?"

"Engage with excessive force"

* * *

The beautiful ocean blue stretched on for miles on end.

Waves of sapphire calmly lapped around the city alongside the chirps of the avian creatures. The white architecture was a serene home, bathing in the ambience of the clear skies. No matter the angle, or time of day, Manaan was a perfect sanctuary. It was stunning in its features and the work of the Selkaths ensured that all their constructs were a compliment to the planets picturesque features.

In a place like this, Bezito found his mind and soul at rest. Nowhere else could he feel the same way, no other landscape could match that of Manaans and it was fortunately, untouched by the bumbling war efforts of the Republic and Empire. Sure enough both sides were welcome to the doorstep but, to come in and enjoy the serenity they had to leave their aggression and warmongering behind.

It was midday and it was the peak of activity, atop the housing district Bezito kept a watchful eye on the passing faces below. Despite wearing heavily contrasting clothes to the world around him and sitting down on the most visible spot he couldn't be spotted, he made sure of that.

In his hand he juggled a gold coin, a memento of a life once had. Whether he missed it or was willing to go back was a question that he wasn't ready to answer, just yet.

In the silence and serene ambience completely lost to his thoughts Bezito scarcely registered the multiple screeches of his communicator bleeping for his attention, annoyed at the disruption he pulled the device from his pocket waited impatiently for the conversation to end. On the other side, a gruff man with a face built like a wookie and voice to match

"C'mon bro! How long you gonna shut us down for? After Oricon you'd think we be partners by now!?"

"We'll never be partners" was all Bezito bothered to say. Before the man on the other side could reply, a bustle and distant shout rang indiscreetly until it calmed down

"Hey big B, I know how ya like to keep distance n' all but we're a team n' teams've got rules to follow ya dig?"

Although he tried not to Bezito smirked a little as he instantly recognised the new voice

"Cadaver, I've told you before...we're not a team so don't bother trying to-"

"Yeah yeah, we know, don't call, don't write, don't say hello, don't give ya soup when ya fall sick" Cadaver interrupted, his voice betraying the comical side to the outwardly 'tough guy' features he normally wore "Listen B, there's some work that's come in...big time stuff, if my boys n' I could handle it then we would've, but this is serious"

Bezito kept silent as he recalled all the members of the team, and more importantly, how good they were. Whatever it was that had them in a tight situation it was definitely not a joke.

"How bad is it?" he asked firmly

"There ya go ya rainbow heart tiger-man, I always knew you'd come back to help us out!"

Bezito frowned, aggravated that, once again, Cadaver had taken his words completely out of context. _I'm not coming back, just fixing whatever mess you bantha spawns got yourselves into_ , he thought harshly to himself

"Zaleen's on her way to ya right now to give the low down on the deal, till then, catch ya later B" Cadaver said cutting the connection and ending any retorts Bezito was ready to fire off at him.

Even though he was now alone Bezito found himself struggling to find the sense of sanctuary he had been lost in now that his mood had been soured. Deciding it was for the best he slid down from the rooftops and landed on the outskirts of the central district. Drawing his hood up, Bezito joined the flow of the crowd, content to let his force camouflage fade away.

Eventually he got to the docks, a large usually empty space that once housed the submersibles but was traded in favour of a network line travelling directly underwater. Walking to the edge of the barriers he looked out to the blue horizon and once again found his calm.

Unfortunately it wasn't long before a newer face emerged to rile him from the desperately sought silence

"Hey there, I'm looking for your better-than-average, incredibly masculine, wild-eyed Cathar with a penchant for solitude and lightsaber tricks" the voice had a soft nature to it that almost matched the waves of Manaan. Turning to face the newcomer Bezito found Zaleen regarding him with a sly smile and feline eyes. The Twi'lek was turquoise skinned and wore an outfit that marked her as street thug and bounty hunter in one femme fatale package

"If you're wondering, I arrived earlier this morning but Cadaver didn't want us to meet till he got the green light from you" she continued "How's Kir-"

"Let's not dance around this and just get to the point of Cadaver's problem" Bezito remarked all the while pocketing an old printed photograph he hadn't realised was in his hand

"Well, _that's_ the problem...the hit, it's on her"

Bezito froze for a second, before giving Zaleen a menacing glare "When did the bounty come out? And who sent it?"

Zaleen laughed humourlessly as she knew he wasn't going to like what was coming next "And that's another problem, the hits not just another bounty...it's a Deathmark and the only lead we have as to why she's on it is a guy named Ango Mein, last location was Ilum 3 months ago"

Bezito was clearly agitated but took his time to let it all sink in, something was obviously out of picture, and it didn't make sense for her to have a Deathmark. For now, as Zaleen said the only lead they have is Ango Mein and of all planets it had to be one of the ones Bezito hated the most.

"Get everything ready, we're heading to Ilum now" he said as he left the ocean blue behind.


	2. Convergence

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, this is purely a Fanfiction.

Don't forget to comment and review

* * *

The room was pasted in a white radiance that was more blinding than welcoming. The systematic tick of the air conditioning was the only ambient noise within the confines of the seemingly spacious room. As Leo'nydas' eyes struggled to adjust to the surroundings he found himself unable to rise fully, truth be told, he had very little feeling in any of his extremities.

After potentially eons of struggling to wriggle feeling into his toes the Cathar Jedi decided to give up and at least get comfortable. Taking his time and thinking slowly he had a good idea of where he was but unfortunately it didn't reassure him even in the slightest. Wincing through pained eyes he began to identify shapes and features in the medic bay, the remnants of Raptor squad and its immovable block of a leader.

As his memory began to trickle back to the foreground he let out an estranged sigh. The confrontation with...whatever the monstrosity was had been a disaster, from the beginning Leo'nydas had sensed a malevolent force that was as perverse as it was dangerous. As a Jedi master he was no stranger to the dark side of the force, but this time, this time was different. As more memories began to flood his mind Leo'nydas could feel the ache of his injuries pulse in time to his heartbeat

"Hey kid" Leo'nydas rolled to the other side feeling a wash of relief wash over him as he found Hrolf, his voice, as usual, showed no sign of weakness and his eyes were the focussing points of what might be his anger. Leo'nydas didn't need to force to tell that much

"On Corellia, I tanked a Moff's 1st legion Assault Battalion, on Hoth I led survivors through 30 miles of caverns with only blaster pistol to my name...kid, I've been there and done it all, so you're gonna explain exactly what that was down there"

Leo'nydas grimaced when he recalled the sheer ferocity of the creature at the temple ruins. As he worked his mouth to give a guess his eyes caught the stare of Hrolf and his words choked in his throat. He realised that whatever flimsy excuse he could give won't last long, especially against Hrolf. In truth he had experienced a similar feeling over seven years ago, on Oricon. A planet forsaken by any sort of goodness and abandoned to the ravings of the insane, it was there he felt true fear.

"I don't know" were the only words he could say, as he guessed Hrolf didn't take it too well. The man didn't bother to as ask further questions, action was always his forte. With that he pulled himself from the medic bed and nearly bulldozed past the attendant nurses pleading him to stop. As he walked past Leo'nydas summoned the little strength he had to prop himself forward and get a good look at the Raptor leader. Of the dozens of warzones the man had immersed himself in Ilum would leave its mark. His entire right shoulder was now a glimmering network of mechanical actuators as well as both legs had being replaced with bionics and who knows what other internal damage had been done.

The veteran will undoubtedly never be the same again and Leo'nydas knew it. What hurt most was however was the familiarity of what he felt at the temple, how it likened to the terror that struck Oricon and was on the cusp of bringing the galaxy to its knees. What he hated was the obvious evidence that pointed only to one man and as he rested on the bed once again and closed his eyes Leo'nydas couldn't help but wish that there was more to the worsening situation, at least for her sake.

* * *

Zaleen smirked as she tossed a glance at Bezito. He wore an expression of discomfort and aggravation that somehow made his features seem almost child-like. Fortunately for her she knew just what to say and do to get under his skin without crossing the 'life now forfeit' line.

The two walked down the backstreets of Nar shaddaa blending in perfectly with the dirt washed, filth ridden, thug rats that called the alley ways their home. In the midst of all this and the bustling movement of traffickers and narcotics dealers, Bezito tried to keep his amber eyes fixed on anything but the stocky human that had no problem flaunting his wealth in the numerous establishments and bars that littered the under city. Zaleen looked at home in the environment as she wrapped herself around the arms of a Zabrak bouncer she picked up at a junction not too far back. It was clear that with her words she had him totalled and mesmerised, swooning for her every attention there was no filter to the spray of words and confidential information he was spilling out for her.

On the other hand, Bezito who was a couple paces had ditched the dancers that Zaleen had ineffectually forced on him as soon as possible. In reality it would have been little effort for the Cathar to find a quick mate in the shadows of Nar shaddaa, he carried himself with a rough gait that was only the surface of the beast underneath the trimantium jacket. His amber eyes matched the callous expression he wore on most occasions.

Although their destination had been Ilum Bezito kept wondering why they travelled in near enough the opposite direction to Nar shaddaa. Somehow Zaleen had convinced him of the relevance of the major detour but to Bezito it seemed like it was a chance to tie up loose ends on a previous job. Regardless it was hard to find enough emotion to care about anything except for the Deathmark, to say it didn't make sense would have been an understatement and he found that most of his time was spent struggling to understand the who's and why's, thus giving the human little to no attention, until he did something stupid.

In what must have been a fit of drunken bravado the human had taken to vulgarity, more so than the usual scum of the back alleys the human had attempted to woo a trio that belonged to the Gamo Radians cartel. The bruisers had taken clear offence and things didn't take long to escalate to body bags and slit throats. In a brief moment the whole area had exploded in a free-for-all death match. As his amber eyes scanned the mass of flesh and wasted life Bezito scoffed at the scene, he wasn't interested in even entertaining the brawl and was about to fade into the shadows when Zaleen came rushing towards him with a concerned frown

"The human, the short woodblock...he has to survive" she said with slight rasps of her breath, after noticing how little Bezito was paying attention she let out a sigh of annoyance and continued "Gabrray Sneps, he's a target that we've been tracing for a couple months now, apparently he has ties to the huntsmaster _as well as_ Sith"

"Ango Mein, could he be the Sith?" Bezito asked trying to put the pieces together

"I don't know!" she began "That's why you need to make sure that he doesn't die...or at least can talk for a while"

In the chaos of everything Bezito had no trouble locating Gabrray, the little worm had found a way to sneak through the press of bodies and elude the bruisers who struggled to keep a semblance of order. Without wasting any time Bezito darted past the bodies with a speed and dexterity unnoticeable to the people too busy bashing heads in with blocks of metal. Weaving in and out and never losing his footing Bezito had made it to Gabrray in good time, grabbing the man by his collar he yanked him forcefully away from a rogue blaster fire.

With the guns out the bodies started dropping rapidly and the cartel managed to rein order by sending out their enforcers. Armed with hand-cannons capable of soul punching Terentateks the mob had ran for cover in record time. In minutes the only people left were those not dead yet and the Gamo Radian cartel. Amongst the pile of bodies Bezito remained impassive, dragging Gabrray like a child he attempted to reach the last place Zaleen was until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Well if it isn't master Jedi! Here I was dreamin' every night that I'll never see your kitty mug again"

The heavy accent was a giveaway and Bezito winced as he turned to face Argwan Nilo. A former Balmorran resistance captain turned galactic contraband director with the street credentials to match.

"Look, Nilo, now's not the best time, I'm on a job with the crew and time is short" was as much as Bezito wanted to say, his senses pinpointed the mobilisation of snipers in the blind spots of the district and although Nilo had an excellent poker face there was no hiding the intent in his mind

"C'mon now homeboy, remember back in the day when we used to knock imp heads like huttball? That makes us practically family...and family don't betray each other"

* * *

Korriban.

A red graveyard for the Sith that never truly die, their spirits linger and their legends are immortalised into the teachings of every generation.

Beneath the dry dust and the barely breathable atmosphere among the ruins of the ancient Sith Lords was the gunmetal grey of the academy.

Within the walls reeking with the subtle nature of the dark side at the central library the acolytes shuffled about the collection of texts and holocrons available to them. Even in the shadows of the night the academy was never truly silent in its daily operations. For one there was always the droning screams the permeated from the interrogation chambers. Those were quite annoying, and then there were the beast pens that always seemed to cough up new and hideous contraptions of organic life.

Today however aside from the useless noise the library was oddly quiet. At the edges of the oval room a Sith Pureblood smiled whimsically as he fiddled with a pulsing holocron. The black pyramid glowed with a red hue as he juggled it about in the air along with a dataslate. The moons had an uncanny way of illuminating the academy in the darkness, everything felt surreal as the light danced along with the carnivorous fireflies.

A moulding of the greyscale and sepia worlds that captured the eye, this was Korriban in the night.

The Pureblood snapped into movement. Walking briskly his golden eyes found the culprit of his newfound annoyance. The night quiet was sweet until a rabble of acolytes had found their way into the library. They cheered and paraded as if they owned the sacred hallways and rooms.

Sacred...

The Pureblood stopped to snigger and then laugh to himself. Not once in his detestable life did he consider anything on the damned rock where Sith never stay dead sacred. His erratic laughter brought him to the group of acolytes without even realising. Through tearful eyes he counted about six of them all staring with a mix of blank and angered expressions. All of them were Zabrak bar just one...A human. Chained and bruised, she was female, matted and dry black hair ending in untidy knots all over her.

There was something about her that captured the Pureblood, there was something on her, maybe above or below that...infuriated him. Taking methodical steps past the now armed acolytes he was almost within arm's reach of her when the largest of the group boorishly stopped in front of him. His crimson face seemed scarred beyond recognition by an ugly line that ran from his fat lip diagonally up and above his right eye.

The other four shuffled about and made a rough circle around him, from the sleeves of their acolyte robes three of them pulled out makeshift daggers with viscous serrated edges. The last actually unsheathed a real vibroblade from his scabbard which meant he must be somewhat of a real deal.

"I dunno why but aside from that girl I just really wanna snap you in two" the scarred Zabrak just managed to growl out in a voice that sounded all too ape like

"Well this escalated quickly" the Pureblood smiled as his smooth voice was a stark contrast to the Zabrak "names Raikoh by the way"

"Is that supposed to mean something?" he replied while forcing a hideous smile

The Pureblood snuck a glance at the girl only to feel even more infuriated with her. She was clearly malnourished and her skin didn't seem the right tone. Her legs were bowed slightly and looked like they could give at any moment to nothing but the gravity of the planet. Looking back to the Zabraks he took a tentative step backwards only to be stopped by the faint touch of their serrated blades.

Standing eerily still Raikoh couldn't help himself as he drew a ravenous grin that brought a heavy frown on the scarred Zabrak. From the long sleeves of his plain robes the Pureblood slowly pulled out a thin metal marking pen.

The air in the library lost the drawn out tension as armed acolytes giggled and let out scoffs. The human girl even seemed to have her brows raised in confusion.

Raikoh began to even laugh with the mob as they let their guard down. The pen flew like a thunderbolt into the throat of the one that seemed to be laughing too hard. The sharp change of expression between the choking gurgles was abruptly halted when the pen was dragged horizontally parting the black skin and releasing a waterfall of blood onto the dark metal floors. It was an understatement to say that the Pureblood was fast. Like a red eclipse he flowed around the remaining acolytes stabbing wildly while maintaining his golden eyed smile.

Flailing wildly the Zabraks struggled to match him as they fell onto panicked instincts to keep their bodies moving. Soon the flies dropped one by one as they finally succumbed to the mounting maggot holes in their bodies. By the end of the session the pen Raikoh held onto was nipped and marred in the same crimson fluid that stained the floor. Still holding onto his childish grin the Purebloods breathing was slightly rushed, it wasn't a perfect slaughter as a noticeable cut on his chin was deep enough to draw blood.

Dropping the pen and pacing in a circle Raikoh let his eyes drift as the blood drowned out his original reason for having five acolytes lying in a red pool at his feet.

After the minutes dragged on he cursed loudly and threw the holocron that had been subconsciously held balanced in the air. The pyramid device bounced across the floor and careened into a corner untouched by the dim twilight. There was a soft whelp that snapped his thought into focus. Turning slowly he took a moment to stare, the human was balled up in the corner. Her trembling could be seen with even unrefined eyes which made the sight just...that...more...tantalising.

Raikoh giggled as he began to stealth his way around. At the corner to the left was the first row of documents. Near ghost like the Pureblood hopped from chair to table and to the roof before hanging silently from the edges.

He waited patiently, drinking on the palpable fear she seemed to exude. A few minutes crawled by before the human also crawled from the corner into the open. Raikoh dropped down into the shadows with nothing but a soft tap, taking a deep breath he drew an intense gaze and levelled it in her direction. The twilight shadows seemed to draw themselves around the human and envelope her. In a moment her fatigued breathing turned to one of desperate gasps, her head snapped in all directions as paranoia in all its sense sank in all directions. Every step that Raikoh took towards her made the feeling ever more intense.

It wasn't until the Pureblood stood right behind her and she turned to face him that did the wave of darkness fall. Their eyes locked for a moment in the twilight, and her breathing fell into a more desperate tone. Cold sweat lined her face before her malnourished legs finally gave way.

Watching her descent Raikoh grinned like a wolf all the while catching her, not once did their twin golden eyes break away from each other.

Her lips trembled and her voice was as hoarse as gravel "Why did yo-"

"Because my former Master taught me to never leave anything behind" It would be an overestimation to say that she felt reassured or calm but amidst the hunting grounds of Korriban and the Sith academy it was close enough

"Let me show you something" he whispered, reaching out he hovered his palm above her eyes. Before long the vibrant gold shed its colour into white silver, it all made sense, his irritation was more of an attraction to a special kin.

"You, my dear, are a very special human...part of an incredible bloodline and ours is the stars to rule"

* * *

When the _Taran's Eye_ voyager cruiser dropped from hyperspace over Belagos, the republic vessel found an abandoned world, chocked with thick clouds and punishing storms. It had been roughly six years since the planet was host to any life. At one time, it was covered with lush jungles and verdant valleys. The sounds of nature reverberated off every stone formation and the Cecian peninsula housed the most beautiful waterfall in the unknown regions. That was six years ago.

Now the swirling storms were the planets screams of agony, a relentless torture as the earth was constantly battered by unnatural forces. A once thriving world had become an anathema to life on almost all levels.

Amongst the inexperienced crew the mere sight of the gale force storms and the smog of deathly clouds was enough to cause them severe unease. Very few aboard the vessel managed to keep their composure, of those that did, most were hardened veterans of the late Carmine wolves, a task force of special ops troopers whose covert missions frequently walked the moral line.

Their finest hour however proved to be their last. For them, Belagos was supposed to be the pinnacle of republic logistical and tactical planning, it was supposed to be the place where the One Master and his apprentice would be dealt a crushing blow.

The reality was far crueller. The republic had failed, in every conceivable way, shape and form they had failed. The once cradle of nature was bombed into a noxious wasteland by the _Hydra_ , the Empire had somehow secured countless top secret SIS codes and worst of all, they had failed to confirm a kill on either the Master or his apprentice. If at all possible the republic would have loved to forget the debacle and humiliation at Belagos, to scratch the world from their archives and leave it to wither away in the unknown regions.

Regrettably the Force had something else planned and now the republic had to revisit Belagos. On the bridge of the voyager cruiser the captain, a no-nonsense Torgrutan female had a strict presence in the space even though her focus was on a planet she would have rather not had to see again. Beside her was Kira Carsen who equally shared her disdain for the planet, memories faded and resurfaced all at once as her green eyes tried to clamp down the boiling pot of emotions that wanted to burst. It didn't matter who it was, anyone that experienced the _Hydra's Roar_ had memories best left buried.

"Master Jedi, eta to geosync orbit 2 hours." The captain said with a controlled voice

Kira didn't trust her voice to reply, so she simply gave a curt nod and tore her eyes from Belagos

"We have one compact CK-4 bomb on deck" Kira gave the Captain an unsure look as the Torgrutan continued "It's a small payload, but should still level any undesirables within an acceptable field"

Finally realising what the captain meant Kira smiled weakly as she replied "If it means the same to you I'd rather not bomb a dead world, y'know, overkill and stuff"

"We both know the device is still down there, activated and powered up, waiting for some megalomaniac to push a button" the captain replied keeping her tone neutral

"Maybe you're right, for now at least all we can do is hope that you're wrong because one CK-4 isn't gonna solve anything, the _Hydra_ doesn't need to roar again"

"If you had asked me to believe in hope in the past few years I would have listened. Now, let's just say I'd rather deal in finalities" for all her outward strength Kira could sense the turmoil within the captain even though it never made it to her voice "Too many lost their lives down there to an abomination"

 _Master Nista Lumi, Bechareth and Ri'kudou_

Those were just a fraction of those important to Kira that had lost their lives on Belagos. Maybe the captain was right, maybe it was an abomination. Thinking logically there was no other angle but by the will of the force Kira thought otherwise.

"You're right about finalities, right now I'm just looking for a way to close this chapter, it's gone on long enough"

The captain spared a glance at the Jedi knight and nodded in agreement.

In the silence between them time went flying past. In what probably felt like minutes the hours came and went until the vessel was within a stable orbit of the planet. Even from space as Kira watched the roiling storms take their toll on the planet she felt like she could hear with clarity the howls of the merciless winds. The captain must have felt the same way as she too struggled to hold her composure now that the ship was in close orbit to the planet. Fortunately, the _Taran's Eye_ and her crew didn't need to get any closer, the voyager cruiser was on a recon mission, observe and look for activity from space. While the analysts on board circulated the hard data the sensors picked up from the planet her mission involved a more metaphysical approach. Walking through corridors and access ways she found the closest thing to sanctuary on the small ship.

The storage room was compact and in comparison with other areas of the cruiser was small. Granted the _Taran's Eye_ itself was only a voyager class, a scout cruiser that did more work in reconnaissance and subterfuge than open confrontation. As Kira entered into the room she noted the overall layout and was pleasantly surprised when she realised it mimicked the design for the conference room of the defender class frigate. Activating the door lock and taking a seat on the far end she took her time to recite all her training as a Jedi padawan.

If it had been in the early years of her Jedi life then some would call it impossible for her to reach a mental and spiritual zen state. Fortunately there were things taught to her, not from Kiwiiks, which had helped her to improve her connection to the force. Although, back in the day, lightsaber skills were the only thing worth remembering and meditation was a fancy word for rest time.

When her eyelids shut and the material world went black, a wave of sapphire light washed over her mind. The tendrils of air felt like silk strings and every breath, no matter how small, filled her lungs with freshness akin to the fields of Alderaan. Her metaphysical senses, heightened to interstellar levels, reached out to Belagos. The analysts could scan the planet for activity for all they want but the Jedi knew Kira was their best bet in finding the ghost that ravaged Ilum a few weeks ago.

With the Force she felt the touch of death on the world, the oppressive presence of the activated Hydra and the wails of the wind. Pushing her sixth sense to the limit she began to feel and hear the dead beat of Belagos. Suffering the taste of the toxic skies lingering in her throat Kira began to feel traces of a mysterious force that was... foreign to the world.

When she fell back into reality cold sweat fell across her face like still rain. Amongst the turmoil of feeling that greeted her one above all made her breathing shallow.

Darth Averonn had returned.

* * *

Zaleen struggled for breath, lying down with blaster pistols and kolto injections littering the floor of the washroom. Ragged strips of bloodied clothing were strewn all around the cramped med bay. For the moment her life wasn't in any danger, besides, as much as Zaleen wasn't particularly pleased with her state she knew that Gabrray was in a far worse situation. While it was obviously evident that Bezito didn't think much of her, or the rest of the crew, no doubt the Cathars temper was reaching its limits.

On the roof of the Saosin hotel, in the nightlights and ambient hustle of the promenade, Bezito had Gabrray by the neck, hanging loosely over the edge of the hotel complex. Waterfalls of sweat fell down the plump face of the now pale human and his eyes moved rapidly all over, avoiding contact with the Cathar who had his life in the palm of his hands. Sparing a glance downwards Gabrray gulped hard and worked his mouth in fruitless pleads for his life that only ended inaudible spurts.

Bezito kept his face neutral and his eyes fixed on the human that squirmed in his grasp. It was only one hand that spared the insufferable creature from death in the depths of Nar shaddaa and a lot of him didn't think twice about letting the man fall.

Before that though, he needed him to talk

"I'm going to ask you a question about this woman" he started, a pall of ice lacing every word as he showed the human a printed photo "and you're going to tell me everything you know"

Between hard pants Gabrray found it difficult to make words. The middle-aged man seemed more like a child on the cusp of a seizure than any source of relevant information. Letting a minute go by and not knowing any more than he did when they first landed on Nar shaddaa Bezito began to feel the edges of frustration and talons of emotion he had locked away years ago. With a callous regard he let go of the human and watched him fall.

When his acute senses picked up on the pitiful screams he focussed on the source and in time the human floated up to the rooftops to meet with his interrogator once again. Drawing the man into his grip Bezito noticed the lifelessness in the body and frowned when he saw that Gabrray was unconscious, stifling a curse he threw the body over the edge in spite.

Nar shaddaa was a waste of time. A storm of emotion wracked his mind as he fought to find the clarity that washed over him on Manaan. Here, amongst the filth and blood alleys of the Hutt planet, it was more of an effort to not let his reality become warped by the unending cries of suffering that always seemed to reach his ears, there was no stopping the torrent of voices that flooded his mind and sooner or later, he would be forced to give in.

Not wanting to push his luck and seeing no other reason for their stay he turned to get Zaleen from the hotel room he left her in, only to be greeted by two figures, robed in black armour and cloaked in shadows. The feminine figure who was at the lead gave off an incredible force of dark side purity, a cloud of darkness that was only the surface of her strength. Behind her, the male was more subdued, masking his presence with the force and keeping his own power well hidden.

Bezito pulled up his hood and glared right through them. His mood soured rapidly and he let his amber eyes glow in the darkness. The two on the other hand, were unfazed. The woman at the lead simply chuckled at the gesture, her tone sounding like an ominous ring through her mask.

"Our Master sends his regards" she said with traces of mockery, at the same time reaching for an ornate lightsaber "He said your end would be our ascension"

He scoffed at the word ascension and recognised them to be the Sith puppets he had sensed when Zaleen was injured mysteriously. It was now time for the male to speak, stepping forward he bowed courteously "Don't take it personally Jedi, you are one of many stepping stones to the greatness our Master promised us"

Bezito's glare deepened when the male referred to him as a Jedi, but not as much as when he mentioned their 'Master' again. If anything he realised that these two would have more information than the sickening human ever did.

"Your Master, does he have a name?" he asked simply

The two Sith looked at each other for a moment before the man answered him "Darth Averonn"

"I see" was all Bezito managed to say, the turmoil of feelings that ravaged his mind only moments ago was stilled when he heard the name. It wasn't fear that now gripped him, in fact he wasn't entirely sure of what he was supposed to think or feel, Averonn was a nightmare. A phantom of a time he'd hoped to forget in his exile on Manaan.

With a deep breath he focussed his attention once again on the Sith before him, there was no possible way for Darth Averonn to return. For one, he had made sure of that which in the current scenario actually made things more worrisome than helpful.

"If Darth Averonn has returned, who are you two then?" he asked again, despite it being impossible to hide the doubt in his voice

"We are his harbingers" the woman began, making a show of her hands "his sword to strike out at the weak and frail, I... I am Darth Karon and my accomplice, Lord Talgron. That is all you'll get from us" she said finally, ending her words she drew her weapon. In a fizz of energy the red lightsaber blew into life, the energy a shade of the raw power within her. In tandem, Talgron drew on his own weapon, this time it was a red double-edged lightsaber that sparked with a hidden malice.

Sensing the mounting surge of power that the two were now releasing Bezito pulled out his own lightsaber, in a flash the electric purple blade burst into existence its roar of activation soon followed by the wild flares of purple light sparking from the weapon.

* * *

 _Peace is a Lie,_

 _There is only Pain, through Pain Suffering_

 _In Suffering, Despair_

 _In my Despair, Wrath_

 _In my Wrath, I found Death_

 _The Force is my Release_


End file.
